


You've got a friend in me

by Pan_demo_nium



Category: Supernatural
Genre: F/M, Strangers to Lovers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-11
Updated: 2018-12-21
Packaged: 2019-04-21 14:55:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14287365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pan_demo_nium/pseuds/Pan_demo_nium
Summary: In which the promise of “I’ll be your best friend” is taken very seriously.





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> This begins around season one of Supernatural. This first chapter is pretty slow but it will get better I promise. I’ll also be posting songs that relate to the chapter if you wanted to listen while you read:)
> 
> Song: You’ve got a friend in me by Randy Newman

The diner you worked at was a fairly calm place. It was a part-time good job, most of the time, and though you found its name a little rich-A taste of Heaven-It was for the most part tolerable if not enjoyable way to make money while you went to school.

Usually. 

Today was unfortunately not a usual day. Miss Janice Miller had decided to come terrorize visit today and you had drawn the short straw. In the brief time it took to take her order, she had already driven you to the point of plotting murder.

As you stormed into the kitchen Rosa, a fellow waitress gave you a sympathetic look. 

“Oh, I bet I could win her over.” Kai, a new waiter, said with such an air of confidence that in your mood, made you want to smack him.

You gave him a look. “Wow, Really?”

“Yeah, with my rugged good looks? Putty in my hands” Rosa snorted and you laughed. Kai was good looking, with his dirty blonde hair, infectious laugh, and almost golden eyes, but he was also new and hadn’t had the full Janice Miller experience. He flashed you both a wounded look, which made you laugh all the harder. Eventually, Kai gave in and laughed with you. Rosa shook her head.

Privately you thought, as you carried out an order, that if anyone here had a chance of charming Janice Miller, it would be Kai. He had blown into town just two weeks before and had already almost seamlessly integrated into the rhythm of the place. Sometimes it felt like he had always been there, with his bright smile and laugh. 

“So, how’s school going,” Rosa asked, puncturing your train of thought “You still going into journalism, now or has that changed too?” 

You scowled at her. “No, it hasn’t changed”

“So, I should give that major a couple more weeks then?” You ignored this. 

“As a matter of fact, it's going quite well and….” Oh no. 

“and what?” Rosa glanced over to find a look of horror on your face and sighed. “Not again y/n” 

Shitshitshit. You were scheduled till close and there was no way in hell you’d finish your assignment on time unless you pulled an all-nighter and you really didn’t want to do that since you had classes at 9 am. You looked pleadingly at Rosa, but she shook her head.

“I can’t cover for you every time you forget an assignment, I’d end up working half your shifts” Frantically you searched for options- any options and your eyes landed on Kai, who was getting ready to leave. He held up his hands and opened his mouth to speak, but you cut him off

“Pretty please” you begged, “It’ll only be this one time-” Rosa snorted, but you ignored her “-and I can’t miss another assignment in this class, and my professor is super strict” you gave him a pleading look and Kai wavered.

“Don’t do it” Rosa warned “She can sense weakness”

“I can-” What could you do? You couldn’t pay him back, every penny was going towards school, and you couldn’t take one of his shifts, as you were already working as much as you could. “…I’ll be your best friend...?” You finished half-heartedly, already condoning yourself to a sleepless night.

But Kai lit up “Deal,” he said and grinned in such a way that you almost backed out. But you weren’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth and you hurried home.   
\--------  
You had almost forgotten about your spur of the moment promise when around one in the afternoon you got a phone call from an unknown number.

“Hello?”

“So, I was thinking, since we are best friends and all now, we should definitely hang out sometime soon, like maybe today?” 

“…Kai?”

“The one and only! This is y/n, right?”

 

You blinked in surprise. “Um, yes…How did you get my number?”

“Rosa gave it to me last night. Said I ‘ought to have it now that the two of you are besties’ Anyway, is tonight good? I just discovered the best ice cream place, it’s to die for. You can bring all your school pals, the more the merrier-”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down there buddy,” You said, cutting him off. “I-I have work tonight, I really can’t-” 

“Aw, that’s not a problem, I’ll get Martin to cover for you”

You snorted. “Riiight. I’ve worked here for two years, and never once have I or anyone else, convinced him to cover a shift.”

“Hmph. He hasn’t met me yet. I have a guaranteed, foolproof trick for this sort of thing”

“What, your ‘rugged good looks’?”

Kai laughed. “Well, I was going for my smile and irresistible charm, but that works too. Why you think I’m his type?”

You choked. “No!” You could hear Kai cackling at the other end, and you couldn’t help joining in. “Jeez”

“I take offense at that. You’re being a very bad best friend” His words contrasted with his amused tone and occasional bursts of laughter. “But in all seriousness, is tonight good? 

You don’t have anymore nearly late assignments from doomsday professors, do you?”

“No, I’m free, if you really can get him to cover…” You supposed you did owe it to him. “You said something about an ice cream shop?”

“Mhm. Grab a pen and I’ll give you the address” You scribbled it down. “Is 7 good?”

“Yeah...” You hesitated “Hey Kai…this is just as friends, right? I’m not really-I don’t-I’m really busy with school right now” You finished lamely

“Best Friends,” Kai said insistently. “But yeah, like I said bring anyone else you want. Bring your friends, your classmates, the whole school if you want.” You laughed and felt yourself relax. “See you at 7?”

“Yeah, see you,” You said and hung up, wondering what you had gotten yourself into.


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: We are Going to be Friends by The White Stripes

Around a quarter to 7, you walked out of your apartment and made your way towards the ice cream shop. You spotted Kai immediately and he grinned at you. 

“What, no entourage?” He asked making a show of looking around and behind you. 

“Nah, it's just me.” You said with a nervous smile “That all right?”

“Its just fine Y/N,” Kai said, giving you a reassuring smile, and you relaxed and smiled back. You ordered two scoops of your favorite ice cream. Kai, on the other hand, had a monster cone, with a least 3 different flavors and an unholy amount of toppings. You both decided that a walk would be much preferable than sitting in the crowded shop, and you exited welcoming the warm fall sunshine.

“So, Y/N,” Kai said after a slightly awkward silence. “Rosa said you were studying Journalism, right.” 

You made a face. “Yeah, for now anyway.” Kai raised an eyebrow.

“Trouble in scholarly paradise?”

You shrugged “Nah, I like it well enough, I just don’t know if it’s something I really want to do for a living.”

He frowned “So why don’t you change your major.”

“I have” You protested “Several times. It’s just that nothing ever really seems to stick. My parents are getting antsy, and I want to finish this semester at least before I change again”

“Mmm,” He said with his mouth full. Despite the size of his ice cream cone, he seemed to be having no trouble scarfing it down. “You have anything in mind?”

“Not really” You sighed “That’s the problem.” He nodded thoughtfully and the conversation lapsed into silence again.

“So,” He said again “Your parents, do they live around here?”

“No, thank God,” You said and he gave you a bemused look. “No, I moved here two years ago for school. They’re bad enough as it is several states away. I mean don’t get me wrong, I love them but…”

“A bit overbearing?” He finished. You snorted

“Yeah, just a bit.” 

“Well, that’s enough about me for one night.” You said decisively “What about you?”

“Me?”

“Yeah, I’ve just about told you everything of interest about me, it’s only fair you return the favor.” You looked at him pointedly “Since we are friends and all…” 

“Best friends” He corrected. Kai sighed and waved his hands as if to brush off your question. “Nah, there’s not really that much to tell, I’d just end up boring you”

“Oh, come on,” You said “A handsome stranger blows into town, charms everyone in the small diner he ends up working in, but no one knows anything about him except his name. There’s gotta be a good story behind that.”

He grinned at you. “You think I’m handsome?” 

You flushed. “Mmm, not the point. Spill.”

Kai barked out a laugh that almost sounded forced. “It’s not nearly as exciting as you make it sound, you’ve got quite a knack for storytelling”

“You flatter me,” You said amused “But that’s not really an answer.”

Kai shrugged looking vaguely uncomfortable. “Like I said, there’s not really much to it. I like to travel, work different jobs, meet new people” He winked at you.

“Any friends?” You prompted 

“Oh, all over” 

“…family?” You asked when it was clear he wasn’t going to elaborate.

“Hey, look at this” You both had ended up walking past the park, and Kai had noticed one of the many leaf piles. He was grinning.

“No”

“It’ll be fun”

“No”

“Pretty please?” He gave you pleading eyes. You wavered.

“I’m not done with my Ice cream.” You tried.

“You’ve got a bite left,”

“…Fine”

“Yes!” he looked so ridiculously pleased with himself that you almost backed out. “Alright, count of three. One”

“No wait”

“Two”

Hurriedly, you popped the last of your ice cream cone into your mouth and he took your hand. “Three!” You both jumped at the same time, landing in the cold pile. Kai was laughing in delight. You stood up, only to have damp leaves sticking to your sweater and jeans. 

“Aww gross” Kai laughed harder. You stuck your tongue out at him. “You jerk” He cackled and you struggled to keep a straight face. You upended the rest of the pile on to him, burning him in leaves.

“Hey!” You finally broke, laughing as you brushed the leaves off. The wind blew straight through your sweater causing you to shiver. The sun had almost set, taking its warmth with it. 

You helped Kai up and he insisted on walking you home. You talked more on that walk home, although the topic of your conversation was always focused on you. You reached your apartment and said your goodbyes. Kai was already walking away when you called out.

“Hey Kai,” You said, and he turned back to face you. “I had a really good time tonight. Thank you” 

“Of course,” Kai said, “What are friends for” He gave you an almost shy smile, an expression that you’d never seen on him but somehow seemed more genuine than his self-satisfied smirk or mischievous grin. You suddenly felt very warm.

“Best friends” You corrected grinning, and he laughed.

“Goodnight Y/N”

“Goodnight Kai”


	3. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is pretty much just a fluffy filler chapter, but we will get to actual plot soon, I promise
> 
> Song: Count on me by Bruno Mars

Over the next few of weeks, you found out just how serious Kai was about the whole ‘Best Friends’ thing. Not that you minded; you enjoyed his company, and he seemed to always be there when you needed something. He would call just when you needed someone to rant about Miss Janice Miller too, and he would occasionally drag you back to that ice cream shop when you need a break from school.

The odd thing about Kai though, he never talked about himself. That very first real conversation you had with him just scratched the surface on his skill at deflecting the conversation away from himself. Oh, he would wax on and on about the places he’d visited and the things he’d seen, but you knew very little about him. He was still very much the charming handsome stranger.

And speaking of his charm, although you would never admit it, Kai had been right. He had been able to win over Miss Janice Miller. So much so that she insisted on him waiting on her whenever she came in. Which of course you didn’t mind. Obviously. The less you had to interact with her the better, right? 

Unfortunately, as Kai wasn’t in today, you had drawn the short straw yet again. Her displeasure at seeing you and not Kai was very evident, and she was even bitchier than usual if that was even possible. Today was not a good day, however, and every snippy comment made your blood boil. 

Your anger reached its zenith when she called you over to insult A) The entire establishment (Excluding Kai, of course). B) You personally And C) Her own specialized order that apparently tasted like trash.

Somewhere in the middle of her tirade, something inside of you snapped. 

“Perhaps this will be more to your taste” You spat and grabbed a bowl of soup from a nearby table and shoved it at her spilling the contents down her shirt.  
The entire diner went dead silent.

You could see the shock and confusion on her face quickly replaced with anger and you could feel your own anger turning into horror. Before anyone could respond, you turned on your heal and marched out the door. 

You had no real destination in mind, your only though being to get as far away from Miss. Janice Miller as you possibly could. You went on autopilot, eventually finding yourself at the library. It was your go-to place of refuge, but you couldn’t find it in yourself to go in knowing that there would be questions asked that had answers you really didn’t want to think about.

So instead you went around to the back of the building, sat down against the bricks and cried. 

Someone coughed and you jumped turning. Kai was behind you. You stood up quickly and wiped your eyes, trying to make yourself look presentable. “Hey,” You said hoarsely, trying and failing to sound casual.

“Hey,” he said hesitantly “Rosa called, said I might find you here” 

“Did she?” You said absently, silently cursing Rosa as you brushed yourself off. 

“Yeah. I uh.I heard what happened” 

You snorted “Yeah, you and all the rest of the diner, probably the town as well. I’ll bet everybody’s talking about how Y/N L/N lost her shit, and poured hot soup all over a customer, and then had a mental breakdown and ran away in the middle of her shift and-” Your voice cracked, and you started to cry again. Goddammit.

Kai looked alarmed and walked over to you. “Hey don’t cry, Y/N,” He said quietly “It’ll be alright”

Anger flared up in you. “No, it really fucking won’t” You snapped “It's not okay and it really not going to be okay-” 

You hiccupped. Really loudly. 

Kai’s mouth twitched. “Don’t” You warned, “Don’t you-” You hiccupped again. A snicker. “Don’t you fucking dare” More hiccups and soon Kai was struggling to hold back his laughter. You punched him halfheartedly, but you were fighting laughter as well. Soon the both of you were giggling like children, your laughter occasionally interrupted by a series of hiccups that just set both of you off again.

You and Kai eventually calmed down, both of you wiping tears from your eyes. 

“Feel better?” He asked giving you a warm smile.

“Yeah, mostly” You replied giving him a weak smile back.  
“You wanna talk about it?”

“Nah, its fine,” You said waving him away. Kai raised an eyebrow. “It doesn’t matter. It’s stupid anyway” 

“Right” he deadpanned “So stupid that you blew up at Janice Miller and poured soup all over her.” You glared at him. He raised his hands. “I’m just saying. But in all seriousness, you wanna get out of here, make comfort food, and talk? I can make a mean cup of cocoa.”

You looked at him funny. “It’s 60 degrees out.”

 

“So?” 

You shook your head and smiled. “Sure, why not,” You said and then hiccupped. Kai smirked and you punched him again. 

“Ow!”

You made your way to your apartment, and Kai immediately took over your kitchen, preparing his hot chocolate. He tutted at you as he took in the contents of your cupboards.

“Really Y/N?”

“Raman is cheap.” You protested. He shook his head in disapproval. Once the cocoa was made you both sat down, and he looked at you expectantly. 

You sighed “It’s just been a lot of little things. There have been weird things happening on campus and some kid in my class is in the hospital now. I’m going to change my major yet again, and my parents are pissed. I’ve gotten angry phone calls all week, and now to top it all I now don’t have a job” Your chest shook and you could feel your eyes getting wet again. You took a sip of cocoa.

“Well, screw them” You looked up at him. “You parents” Kai clarified “Keep changing your major, experiment, find what makes you happy,” He smiled at you “Whatever it is, whenever you find it, you’ll kick ass” You snorted “I mean it” Kai insisted 

“Thanks,” You said 

He grinned at you “Hey, what are-”

“Yeah yeah I know, what are friends for”

“Best Friends”


	4. Chapter Four

The ice cream had sort of settled into a weekly thing for you and Kai. Specifically, Friday evenings he would pick you up around 7 and you would walk together, enjoying the warm weather while it lasted. Kai insisted on paying while you looked for a new job and though you protested, going out with him was a welcome relief. One day a week you got to escape-if only for a short while-from the ever-growing pile of homework and bills. 

This week you were especially looking forward to it since both school and job hunting had gone poorly. So, when your doorbell rang, you hurried over to answer it expecting to see the grinning face of your best friend, you were less than pleased to find an unknown man and woman, both dressed in suits.

“Can I help you?” You asked plastering a fake smile on your face, hoping against hope that their visit would be quick. 

“Ms. Y/N L/N? FBI, I’m Agent Byron and this is my partner Agent Shelly.” The man said, gesturing towards the woman, both of them flashed a badge at you. “We need to ask you some questions about a classmate of yours, Henry Carmichael. He was recently hospitalized.”

Irritation faded, replaced by discomfort. “Of course, come in.” You said reluctantly, opening the door wider. They stepped in and sat down on your couch. “I didn’t know him well,”   
You said as you sat down. “We only had the one class together.”

“But it was in that Class that Mr. Carmichael has his…breakdown?” The woman-Agent Shelly asked.

“Yeah,” You said shifting uncomfortably. “I don’t know, it was weird. One second he was fine and then the next he was babbling about seeing fairies and unicorns and other shit-” 

You flushed “Sorry” Agent Byron waved aside your apology. 

“Was he acting strangely at all before?”

“No, like I said one minute he was his…usual self and the next, well…” You shrugged helplessly “And I only saw him 3 times a week for an hour so…” They looked at each other meaningfully and then turned back to you.

Agent Byron smiled at you ruefully “This is going to sound strange but by any chance did the classroom that day smell of sulfur, like rotten eggs?”

“Um, no,” You said bemused 

“Were there any cold spots in the room?” You shook your head. Agent Shelly sighed.

“Does Mr. Carmichael have any enemies that you know of.”

“Um, all due respect,” You said hesitantly “But I don’t see what this has to do with anything, Henry had a mental breakdown. I’m not even sure why the FBI is investigating this.”

“We just go where they tell us too.” Agent Shelly answered smoothly “And these are all routine questions so if you could just answer them we’ll be on our way.”

“Ok” You smoothed your skirt down. “Enemies? Does the entire school count?” Agent Byron raised an eyebrow. You sighed “Look…Henry was a dick. To everyone. He especially loved embarrassing people to the point of making some cry. To be honest, a lot of people were kind of glad he got his…comeuppance for lack of a better word.”

“Even you?” Agent Shelly asked. 

“What, no!” You said affronted “I mean, I didn’t like the guy, believe me, I did not like him-”

“Were you one of the people he liked to torment?” Byron asked. You let out a frustrated huff.

“Yes, but I didn’t want this to happen, all I did was vent about him to a friend” Speaking of that friend, he was late. Shutting your eyes for a second, you prayed that he would hurry up and give you a reason to leave.

And lo and behold a second later the doorbell rang. You jumped up from your seat and all but ran to the door. You opened to find Kai looking apologetic.

“Sorry I’m late, I was-” He broke off looking behind you. “Do you have company?” You turned to see that the Agents had risen from the couch. 

“Um no, they were just leaving,” You said glancing at Kai “Unless you need anything else, Agents?” 

Kai frowned and mouthed ‘Agents?’ 

‘Tell you later’ You mouthed back and turned back.

Agent Shelly smiled. “No, I think that’s all for now” They approached the door and Agent Byron handed you a card. 

“Our number,” He said, “In case you remember anything else or need to contact us.” You thanked him. Kai waited until they had disappeared into the elevator before bombarding you with questions, as you both made your way out of the building and into the sunshine.

“Hey, woah, one at a time. Yes, I’m all right, they wanted to know about Henry Carmichael.”

Kai frowned “Wasn’t that your douchebag classmate? The one that went crazy?”

“That’s the one” You confirmed “Not sure why the FBI is involved or what they plan to do about it. They asked me weird questions though.” 

Kai looked at you sharply. “Like what?”

You shrugged. “If the room smelled like sulfur or if it had cold spots.” You snorted “They wanted to know if he had enemies. As if 90 percent of the school wouldn’t at least punch him if they could get away with it.” 

You nudged him in the ribs “Am I right?” Kai didn’t respond, so you looked up at him only to find a troubled pensive expression on his face. “Hey, you ok?”

He started and forced a grin on to his face “Always” 

“Right…” You said doubtfully. “Anyway, Thank God you showed up when you did, you rescued me from having to play twenty questions about Henry Carmichael.”

“Aww,” Kai drawled, his grin looking a little more natural. “What are friends for”

“Best Fri-Oh my God!” 

You both had turned on to the street on which resided your former workplace. The ‘A Taste of Heaven’ diner was currently surrounded by two police cars and an ambulance. You   
rushed over, with Kai hot on your heels.

Inside the place was cleared of customers. Your former manger was conversing with the police and Rosa was sitting at one of the tables, wrapped in a shock blanket, her eyes wet and red-rimmed.

“Rosa, what’s going on? What happened?!” 

She stared dead-eyed into space for a while before abruptly saying “Janice Miller is dead”

“W-What…?” You stared at her open-mouthed, a tight knot forming in the pit of your stomach “You’re serious? How…?”

“I was just taking her order” Rosa whispered, “She was going off, doing her usual spiel, you know the one, and she just…started choking…”

“Choking…? On what?” You said, your feeling of horror growing.

Rose shook her head. “On nothing. A nearby customer did the Heimlich, and nothing happened. Paramedics have checked and so far, found nothing. It's like…Its like she choked on her own words.” Rosa let out a sob and after hugging her, you and Kai quickly cleared out of there.

“Janice Miller dead,” You said hollowly “I can’t believe it…”

“Well, it’s not like she didn’t deserve it,” Kai said offhandedly 

You looked at him horrified “How can you say that; a woman has died-”

Kai snorted. “Right, cause you’ll miss her terribly. You knew what she was like, she made your job hell.”

“That doesn’t make it right or fair,” You said temper rising.

He laughed bitterly. “If there's one thing I’ve learned Y/N is that life is rarely right and never fair. Janice Miller got what she deserved, like that Carmichael kid.” You gaped at him in shock and sheer disbelief. “Oh, c’mon you hated her.” 

“I didn’t want her to die!” You yelled attracting the attention of several passersby’s. You struggled to hold in tears, Janice Miller's death, plus the whole shitty week finally catching up to you. “I’m going home”

“Wait no! Y/N!”

“Goodbye Kai”


	5. Chapter 5

You enjoyed the quiet calm of your new job. Gone were the days of shouted orders, the sizzle of cooking food, and the irate customers. At least the customers here had to use a whisper. Smiling you reached across the front desk to scan a picture book out for a little girl. She smiled back and then scampered off to join her mother as the two walked out of the library doors.

You breathed out a sigh of satisfaction, as you settled back into your chair. No, you didn’t miss the diner. You did occasionally miss talking to Rosa, though the two of you had met up for lunch a couple of times since you had walked out.

There was, of course, one other person that you missed, but you shoved that thought back into the back of your mind. 

You reached for the book you had been reading, occasionally looking up to check on the visitors. You almost jumped when you spotted the black suites of the FBI agents. Agent Shelly caught your gaze and she smiled at you. Giving her an awkward smile back, you went back to your book, searching for some excuse to see what books they had been looking at.

The two agents had an almost unhealthy interest in you, continually coming over and asking stranger and stranger questions. You had even caught them tailing you a couple of times. You suspected that, for some reason, they thought you involved in Janice Miller’s death and your classmate’s accident, though, for the life of you, you couldn’t see how the two were connected or how they thought you were involved.

The soft thump of a book of the desk and a quiet cough broke your train of thought. You hastily grabbed the volume, a large book on Pagan mythology and looked up to find Kai looking sheepish. Your polite smile dissolved instantly, and you yanked the book towards you to scan it out.

“Look Y/N,” Kai said quietly “I’m sorry-”

“There you go, sir,” You said loudly, earning a few glares from nearby people. “Have a nice day.” You shoved the book back at him, but he didn’t take it.

“Please Y/N-” You turned your attention to a small boy that had come up to the counter.

“Um, can you please help me find-”

“I sure can,” You said giving the boy a bright smile. You took his hand, walking fast, hearing Kai’s footsteps behind you. You purposely went the way opposite the children’s section, making your way over towards the shelves where the Agents had been.

“I don’t think it in here,” The boy said, sounding confused.

“Shhhhh,” You said soothingly “I’ll help you in just a sec, just hang on…” You rounded the corner and your heart almost stopped as you bumped into Agent Byron.

“Ms. L/N,” He said smoothly

“Agent Byron, hello!” You said smiling, trying to cover up the nervousness in your voice. “Agent Shelly” You added as the woman joined her partner. “Can I help you find anything?”

“Actually yes,” Byron said “We were just looking for that book” He pointed to Kai’s book that you had stowed under your arm, in your hurry to get away. He smiled at you, but it was a strange smile that made you feel as if you had done something wrong. “Strange coincidence”

“I guess,” you said, giving a nervous laugh. “Unfortunately, its already been checked out to my friend here” All but shoving the book at Kai, who had come to stand beside you. “If you’ll excuse me” You pushed past them, muttering apologies.

You lead the boy to the children’s section and helped him find his book. The two of you made your way back to the counter and checked his book out. You smiled after him as he left, and then you noticed Kai had also made his way back.

You sighed and then quietly told your coworker that you were going on brake before the two of you made your way to the back door. Pushing it open, you shivered in the cool September air.

“Are they bothering you?” Kai asked as you turned to face him. “Those agents”

“No, not really” You lied. Kai raised an eyebrow. You sighed again “Just a little. They keep asking weird questions and things like that. They even asked about my job here once.”

Kai frowned “Really”

“Yeah” You said, thinking back “It was kinda strange though. I never submitted an application to this place, they called me and told me they needed somebody…” You shrugged “But it’s nothing I can’t handle. I mean they have to leave eventually right?”

“Yeah” Kai said, although his smile looked somewhat strained. You both stood in a awkward silence for a few minutes.

“I’m sorry” Kai blurted out “I didn’t mean to hurt you Y/N”

“She had just died Kai…” Silence fell again.

“I don’t work there anymore,” He said

You frowned “What, why?”

Kai shrugged “Just wasn’t the same without you” He was quiet. “I really am sorry Y/N”

“I know” You sighed “I forgive you”

His eyes flicked up to yours “Really?”

You smiled “Really, really” You reached and pulled him into a hug.

“So, are we friends again?” Kai asked tentatively, voice muffled.

“Nope,” You said brightly, and he stiffened. “We’re Best Friends”


	6. Chapter Six

“Just hear those sleigh bells jingle-ing, ring-ting tingle-ing, too” You sang softly, watching your breath puff out in front of you. Though you couldn’t see him, you could feel Kai’s eye roll, as he walked beside you. “Come on, it’s lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you”

You poked Kai in the side, he jumped, turning to face you. You gestured for him to join in as you continued. “Outside the snow is falling and friends are calling “yoo hoo” Kai shook his head, but you saw the faintest curl of a smile on his lips as the two of you walked.

“C’mon, don’t be a Grinch”

“It’s the middle of October” Kai pointed out dryly “We haven’t even passed Halloween yet.”

“So?” You said, grinning at him “It’s snowing” You spun around, arms outstretched gesturing to the surrounding whiteness. Kai raised an unimpressed eyebrow at the half inch of white powder covering the park you were walking by.

Your weekly ice cream walks had quickly turned to hot cocoa walks as the weather grew ever colder. You hardly passed anyone on your walks these days, as most people opted to stay warm indoors. Today was no exception and the streets being so empty and quiet, it seemed like you and Kai were alone in the world.

Something you were more than happy with, except Kai’s mood, had soured as soon as you started singing.

“Didn’t think you’d be one to follow such arbitrary laws like ‘Thou shalt not sing Christmas Carols until December first’.” You remarked, sipping your cocoa “You’re usually the first to break those kinds of rules.”

Kai gave a shrug and a noncommittal grunt. You turned to poke him again but caught sight of his face. He was wearing The Look™. It was the look he wore whenever anything about his family or his past came up.

You had continued to pester him about his story, and every time he found some way to dodge and/or change the subject. He would leave soon after that, and you learned to stop asking. It was almost funny, you had met him over three months ago and you still knew almost nothing about him.

You walked in silence for a few minutes after that, unsure of how to fix the conversation and Kai’s mood. Until you remembered the snow. Discreetly, you stopped and set down your cocoa, Kai continuing on ahead seemingly lost in his own thoughts. You scooped up the snow and began molding it together.

After a minute, Kai finally seemed to notice that you were no longer beside him. He turned back. “Y/N-”

You threw it at him. The snow was terrible, and the snowball fell apart midair, showing Kai with a handful of snow instead of hitting him straight on. Kai spluttered for a second before wiping his face off and giving you an impish grin.

Mission Accomplished.

“Playing a dangerous game there, sweetheart” Kai drawled. “You ever hear the saying ‘Don’t pick a fight you can’t win’?”

“Is that a challenge Mister?” You called back, inching back toward the snow-covered grass.

Kai’s eyes gleamed and before you could blink he had darted toward the ground and had flung his own handful of snow at you. You shrieked as it smacked against your coat, and you dove behind a park bench nearly avoiding the next snowball.

You finally stopped when the overcast sky began to darken and declared it a tie, both of you soaked through, but glowing with warmth. Giggling like children, Kai helped you up, and you both began the long trek back to your apartment.

It was quiet at first, as you were both trying to catch your breath, occasionally catching the others eye and lapsing back into giggles again.

“Giddy-yap giddy-yap giddy-yap, let’s go” Kai’s quiet voice broke the silence and you jumped. “Let’s look at the snow. We’re riding in a wonderland of snow” You turned and stared at him, not daring to speak lest he stop.

Kai’s turned and he caught your gaze. He smiled warmly at you and linked his arm with yours. “Giddy-yap giddy-yap giddy-yap it’s grand. Just holding your hand” You joined him, your soft voices swallowed up by the cold winter air.

“We’re gliding along with the song

Of a wintry fairy land”

You reached the door to your appointment building, before turning back to face Kai.

“You sure you’ll be alright walking back?” You asked

Kai rolled his eyes “I’ll be fine, Y/N. I always am”

“Promise?”

“Promise,” Kai said with an exaggerated sigh “Cross my heart”

You laughed, and he grinned. “Well, goodnight then,” You said

Kai smiled softly at you, before leaning in a kissing you gently on the cheek. “Goodnight Y/N,” he said, and then he was gone, swallowed up by the rapidly approaching night.

You weren’t quite sure how you got up the stairs and into your apartment. For all you knew, you might have floated up, considering how light you felt, your cheek still burning where he kissed you.

Unfortunately, your happy mood was suddenly shattered by the sound of footsteps coming from your bedroom. You turned toward then and came face to face with Agent Shelly, who was holding a long wooden spear.


	7. Chapter Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey look, this series isn’t dead 😅 😅 Do you remember when I would update once a week? I thought I would be done with this series by the end of the year:/ Thanks for sticking with me and I’m sorry this chapter took so long.
> 
> Unfortunately, this will be the last update for a while tho, as I’m going to rewrite/ polish the older chapters.

The buzzing of your cell phone broke the silence and though it was barely audible, you flinched at the noise. The knots in your stomach twisted as you ignored it, making no move to answer. You kept your eyes trained on the book in front of you, desperately trying to read.

Finally, the phone fell silent, the screen lighting up. Your eyes flicked over to read: One New Voice Message.  You shifted uncomfortably on your couch, before snatching your phone up. Against your better judgment, you opened the message.

“ _Hey...uh...It's me again...Kai, your best friend?”_ He gave a weak laugh. “ _Yeah, I’m just...I’m calling again cause you haven’t answered your phone for a couple days, or your door and uh I haven’t seen you at work...I’m getting kinda worried… I’m sorry if I-If you don’t-About last time...just please call me back…_

You snapped your phone closed, and squeezed your eyes shut, trying to subdue the rising panic…

* * *

_“What the hell!” You gasped as the Agent advanced, wooden spear at the ready. You spun around and bolted for the front door, only to run into Agent Byron, also holding a wooden spear._

_He dropped it, and pinned your wrists together, slamming you against the nearest wall. Your body exploded with pain, and you fought to catch your breath. Struggling to break free, you twisted violently, but his hold was too strong and your head was spinning._

_Your panic intensified when you felt the tip of the spear at your chest. “Don’t!” You gasped, your voice finally returning. “Please don’t…I-you can take anything…don’t kill me!” Hot tears began to spill down your cheeks and you began to sob._

_“ ‘Hell of an actress” You heard Shelly mutter, and Byron gave a divisive snort._

_“Please” You whispered “Please…just let me go…”_

_Byron scoffed “I don’t remember you letting Janice Miller go. Or that Carmichael kid.”_

_Confusion bloomed, and you stared at the two in bewilderment. “I didn’t…I didn’t kill her-”_

_“Don’t play games with us Trickster” Shelly said, “We know what you are, and what you do.”_

_“Is that code for some-”_

_Agent Byron cut you off “So which one are you?” He asked softly, pressing the spear harder into your chest, and you struggled to breathe. “Hermes? Coyote? Loki?”_

_“I don’t-”_

_“Its. Over.” Byron rolled his eyes, and leaned in suddenly, his face inches from yours. irritation in his voice. “Drop. The. Act.”_

_“Its. Not. A. Fucking. ACT!!” You yelled. “I don’t know what the FUCK you two are on, but I did NOT kill Janice Miller! I didn’t touch my classmate!!”_

_Anger exploded across the man’s face and he started to push the spear into your chest. A split second later you kicked Byron in the crotch. The agent jerked away, doubling over in pain and you fell the floor._

_The spear clattered beside you, and you fumbled with your coat, tearing it off. You reached under your shirt to find that your chest was wet. You pulled your hand away, to find it covered in blood._

_Byron reached for the spear again, and you flinched but Shelly caught his arm. “She’s not it,” She said, her eyes fixed on you. Byron glared at her, and for the next several minutes they seemed to have a silent argument. Finally, Byron’s shoulders slumped, and he retreated into a corner._

_Shelly came over and knelt down beside you. You flinched and tried to scoot back, but she put a firm hand on your shoulder. “I’m not gonna hurt you” An incredulous laugh burst out of you, but she managed to pull you onto the couch, pulled off your shirt to examine your wound._

_“Who-What are you guys” You whispered._

_The two agents exchanged another silent conversation and then Byron looked at you seriously. “Do you believe in Monsters, Ms. L/N?”_

_Another weak laugh escaped your mouth “Right. Monsters. Of course.” Byron expression didn’t change, and dread began to pool in the pit of your stomach. You struggled to sit up “You aren’t-Oh my god, are you-”_

_Shelly firmly pushed you onto your back. “No, we aren’t monsters,” She said coolly “We hunt them”_

_“Oh ok,” You said “The government has monster hunters. Great.”_

_Byron shook his head “We aren’t from the government”_

_“But I thought-”_

_“We lied,” He said bluntly “People tend to answer your questions more often if they think they have too. And we needed access to the police and schools’ files.”_

_Shelly pulled out a needle and you eyed it warily. “Can’t I just go to the hospital?”_

_She shook her head “Can’t afford all the questions that will come. Relax, it will be over soon.”_

_-_

_A painful while later, your wound tended too, your anger began to flare again. “So,” You said stiffly, “You thought that this…Trickster was me?”_

_Byron avoided your gaze “Most of the victims were connected to you-”_

_“Most of them??”_

_Shelly cut you both off. “Y/N, Tricksters are powerful beings that the ancients worshipped as Gods. They live to punish the ‘high and mighty’ in ironic ways. And yes, most of the victims were connected to you, it wasn’t just Janice Miller or Carmichael.”_

_“That’s why you wanted to check out that mythology book”_

_Shelly nodded “And when you didn’t let us…we thought you were trying to throw us off…”_

_You shrugged “Just a coincidence, I guess”_

_Byron grunted “You seem to have an awful lot of coincidences. Janice Miller dies right after you blow up at her and are fired. That Carmichael kid you hated was removed from your class. A job at the library you love suddenly opens up as soon as you need a new one…”_

_A growing suspension is gnawing at you, but you push it aside. “What are you saying?”_

_“There’s still a trickster out there,” Byron said, eyes boring into you. “One that seems to have taken an interest in you…Anybody come to mind? Classmate, Coworkers, Friends…?”_

_“No” You lied “No one I can think of…”_

_“Well if you do,” He said slowly “Let us know. We’ll be in touch.”_

* * *

The urgent knocks on the door jerked you out of your thoughts. Your chest throbs at the sudden movement and your curl up on your couch praying whoever was there would just go away. The pounding on your door does eventually stop, but the very familiar muffled voice almost gives you a heart attack.

“Hey Y/N, it's Kai. Can I come in?”


End file.
